Basement Repair And Renovation: Average Cost In 2023 And Additional Information

Reviewed by Pavel Buyeu
Updated: 06/02/2023

Basement Repair and Renovation: cost and additional information

Are you looking for details on basement repair? Cost, useful tips, and remedies depending on your problem on LocalProBook. Read the article, submit your request and get quick feedback from the best basement repair local pros.

Basement repair: cost and factors that influence it

The basement repair is work aimed at securing the foundations of the house and its stability. Depending on the type of problem, it will be necessary to intervene with a different way of repairing the basements.The cost depends on various factors that we will try to find out in this article.

Price table

The table below shows some examples of costs for the basement repair, divided by type of intervention.

Prices per 100 linear foot prices from to
Basement waterproofing $6 - $30
Basement repair with micro piling $850 - $1000
Basement repair with resin injection $300 - $650
Basement reconstruction $30 - $100

NOTE the prices indicated in the table may vary according to the type of work requested, the quality of its execution, and the area in which you are located.

As you can see, the cost of basement repair depends on the size of the work, the type of problem, the intervention chosen, and the material used. The use of construction equipment and the involvement of a local contractor significantly affect the cost per square foot of the basement.

Basement repair: cost and most common problems

To better understand how the cost of basement repair is formed, it is good to take a look at the main types of intervention requested by our customers.

  • basement repair: in this case, the foundations are already present but the house has undergone a movement or a breakdown. This can be signaled by the formation of cracks or fissures. If you haven't already, you can get professional crack meters to evaluate the movement of cracks. In many cases, the cracks are only superficial and do not indicate any more serious problem, which requires the renovation of the basement of the house. In any case, since this is a very sensitive topic, it is important to contact people specialized in the sector. They will be able to tell you the cost of basement repair, should you need to intervene. In the following sections, we will see the three main types of intervention possible for the basement repair and the cost.
  • House basement renovation: this category partially matches the basement repair. However, more specifically, it is a question of intervening in the existing basement and rebuilding a part of them from scratch. If the remaking of the house foundations is due to erosion due to rain or underground water flow, excavation must be carried out before proceeding with the remaking of the house basement. To prevent the problem from recurring, you will also need to channel surface water or block any underground leaks. The renovation of the house's basement can also mean using reinforced concrete to reinforce the external area of the foundation of your home.
  • Basement waterproofing: if the problem is limited to the presence of water, you will need to waterproof the basement. If these are not deep enough, the waterproofing of the basement must also involve the lower side of the work, to avoid rising dampness. Read on to find out the cost of basement repair and the main types of basement waterproofing. Depending on the severity of the problem, the cost of the basement per square foot will change.

Basement repair: cost and types of intervention

After looking at the basement repair cost table and the problems that plague most homes, let's move on to the techniques used to solve them.

  • Micropiles: in this case, poles are inserted into the ground towards which the foundations are collapsing. By reaching deeper and more stable layers, the soil is strengthened, making it less prone to collapses and landslides. This consolidation of foundations has an average cost varying between $ 50 and $ 150 per 100 square feet.
  • Resin injection: using special resins, any cracks or gaps in the basement are filled. The basement repair is therefore caused by the filling of the pockets and cracks with this resin. It is injected in a liquid state but when it solidifies it becomes very hard. This basement repair intervention has an average cost of $ 1,200. The price may vary depending on the number of holes to be made and the quantity of expanding resin to be injected. As an alternative to resin, cementitious compounds are available that perform the same task.
  • Masonry Strengthening: If your home is built on sloping ground and the basement tends to move downstream, it is sometimes possible to strengthen the foundations with a buttress wall. That is, a massive and stable structure is created that blocks movement, interposing itself between the escarpment and the house or acting as a counterweight in the opposite direction. Usually, this basement repair has lower costs than the interventions seen previously, but it is always better to evaluate case by case with the help of local pros.

Basement repair: cost and refurbishment of house foundations

The remaking of the house foundations is one of the interventions seen above. It usually has a higher cost than the basement repair, but it always depends on the size of the work.

  • Excavation: the reconstruction of the basement almost always starts with excavation. Sometimes it is necessary to go deep, digging beyond the base of the foundations, at least 10 feet. This intervention must also be included in the cost per square foot of the new basement.
  • Reinforcement and strengthening: if the problem arose only from the weakness of the original foundation, the reconstruction of the house basements are aimed at strengthening them. Reinforced concrete curbs are made with a resistant structure that protects and "embraces" the existing foundation, avoiding further movements. The cost of consolidating the basement is difficult to assess without having a clear view of the situation. Also, for this reason, we recommend that you schedule inspections with our professionals to have the maximum precision in the estimates. The safety of your home is a crucial aspect, to be defended with all the weapons at your disposal.

Basement waterproofing cost

Very often the problems that lead to the renovation of the foundations of the house are due to water or humidity. In this section, we will see how to waterproof the basement and the cost of the foundations per square feet

  • House basement renovation: if the house is already present, the interventions must be conservative, unless you intend to completely demolish the house. In this case, the recommended basement waterproofing begins with excavation. You have to dig everything around the house, easily reaching the base of the foundations and leaving enough space to work easily. The cost of the foundations per square foot must indicate the price for any excavation and disposal of the moved material from the estimate.
  • Basement waterproofing stratigraphy: stratigraphy is the graphic representation of the various layers that make up basement waterproofing. In addition to the cost of the foundations per square meter, it is important to have estimates with precise and identical specifications, to be able to compare various offers. This means that all the elements of the stratigraphy must be indicated, with mention of the names so that reference can be made to the technical datasheets. Only in this way can the cost of foundation consolidation be clear and transparent.
  • Typical solution: usually the typical stratigraphy for waterproofing is composed as follows. Starting from the foundation, a waterproofing membrane is applied. This is sold in rolls and applied with an open flame. Particular attention must be paid to the meeting points of the rolls, where liquid sheath must be applied to avoid infiltrations. Eventually, if the budget allows, it is possible to proceed with the drafting of the second layer of the sheath, covering the joints with the central part of the next roll. The cost per square meter of the foundations grows but you can be sure of having full basement waterproofing. A protective plastic membrane is applied to the sheath. Alongside this, a large amount of drainage material, such as gravel or cellular glass, is poured. The second material also has excellent insulating performance and could therefore improve the thermal performance of the house. At the bottom, a drainage pipe for the drained water, wrapped in non-woven fabric, should be applied to prevent plant roots from piercing it in search of water. If necessary, another layer of non-woven fabric can be laid to protect the drainage layer and above it create a "lean" base or a mixture of cement that will act as a screed for the flooring. The cost of consolidating the foundations can go up for such a complete intervention, but it is always better to turn to serious professionals and entrust them with complete work to have the full basement waterproofing.

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